


red riding hood

by halcyin



Series: one shots & ficlets [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Character Death, Heavy Angst, King Geoff, M/M, Mad King Ryan, king AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-03-31 22:04:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3994558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyin/pseuds/halcyin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s hard to remember what’s already forgotten.</p>
            </blockquote>





	red riding hood

**Author's Note:**

> a small short story i felt like writing about the king au. descriptions of denial, death, murder, depression, and execution follow, so if anything of these things may have a bad effect on you, please do not read!

There was one thing that Ray definitely knew he was good at. It was a pity that only times like this when he used it; times like this that he needed to use it.

The square was lit only by the weak burning of the kerosene left in the lamps hanging in the streets. The other source of night, however, in the middle of the square hung near the crossbars of the post, illuminating the crowd gathering around it.

He pushed through the townsfolk and nobility— everyone— gathered, his heartbeat and blood roaring in his ears blocked out their slurs and insults towards the two standing near the crossbars. Dark cloaks blurred past him, as he, the single red-cloaked man, shoved citizens aside, the townspeople being too entertained to insult the crowned prince as he made his way through the crowd and towards the elevated scaffolding.

As he neared the crossbars and it’s pedestal, Ray was overcome with the emotion, the only thing he was so very good at blocking it out. He leaned forward as the world slowed; it was just him and the man whom he loved so dearly on the stage. That was until he felt an arm grab him and pull him tightly into a hold, ever so close to touch out to his lover with the lovely blue eyes.

“Let me go!” The red prince screamed. “Mercy!” He begged. Ray thrashed against the hold, cocking his head beastly to see his capture was. His eyes met amber colored ones, russet hair, and russet freckles.

Michael didn’t utter a word to the prince in his grasp. The words were in his eyes, sympathy, empathic to his cause, but only to Ray’s. Not to the man longing watching his lover thrash in the crowd.

The tears were beginning to flow, as the realization of what was about to happen became a reality. All obsessed in their entertainment and revenge, the townspeople paid no heed to the screaming red prince held in the warrior’s grip, fighting for his life to rip the former King Ryan from his stage.

Ray quieted down long enough to hear Jack, from the stage as well next to the condemned speak, “By the decree of the King Geoffrey,” the blood was roaring so loud in Ray’s ears. His legs began to tremble underneath; they buckled and damaged to put Ray’s entire weight onto Michael’s arms wrapped around his waist. That stifled a grunt from the warrior, so he pulled tighter and tripped to hold Ray closer.

Jack was thrown off by the subtle sobbing and screams coming from the crowd, his heart even aching at the very noise of it as his eyes locked on to Ray writhing in Michael’s grip, his eyes flickered over to a green cloaked figure with the arrows on his back, moving over to Michael to help quiet Ray down or soothe his sorrows. It had only been a few seconds that Jack paused before swallowing and glancing over at the man staring up at the rope. “Former King and Prince, Ryan Haywood, is sentenced to death by hanging for the following: genocide, abuse of the law, and betrayal to Achievement City.”

“No, no, no, Michael, please,” Ray screamed, tears burning his eyes and his heart in unbelievable pain that he wanted so much to give Ryan one more kiss, one more hug, feel his warmth, that laugh, or even his irresistible dark humor that Ray oh-so loved. “He’s your friend, you can’t!” He shouted and thrashed, stomping his feet on the ground to get away from Michael. The sadness was replaced with anger as he tried even harder to escape the hold. But soon after giving it his all, Ray collapsed, tears blurring his vision onto what was happening on the stage above him until he began murmuring incoherent things to himself, sweet nothings that held no meaning besides to find some reassurance in death.

Ryan saw this, standing on top of the wooden planks in front of the stool. His eyes flashed to the twisted face of Michael’s, struggling to contain his lover, Gavin moving through the crowd to help, Jack reading out of the worn parchment, Geoff standing from the balcony of the castle that overlooked the square, where their eyes would meet momentarily. He remained motionless, while his heart hammered against his ribcage bones, his lungs crying for air when he even forgot to breath because he was too distracted by the rage, sorrow, and frenzied manner of his lover writhing almost to the ground below.

“Michael, please,” he sobbed. Ryan stepped onto the stool his eyes meeting the lovely brown ones from the crowd. He smiled, sadly, and mouthed his last goodbyes: ‘I love you, be safe, my rose.’ Fabric was placed over his bed while the sound of Ray’s frantic and tortured screams echoed in his head. He felt as the rope looped around his neck and adjusted to its width.

“Please!” Ray screamed at the top of his lungs. In a blink and in one motion, the stool was kicked out from underneath him. The rope constricted.

Ray went limp; he fell to the ground and grunted as the stone knocked him breathless. It was a sad sight for Geoff to see from his sheltered tower. His former friend hung from the crossbars of the gallows, body dangling helpless. Jack was moving back towards the castle and ushering the townsfolk to begin home. Michael and Gavin stood near Ray, giving each other sympathetic looks before leaving the forlorn lovers in the empty square.

He didn’t count, nor did it feel like time had passed when Ray looked up from his sitting position on the ground to see the body. 

“My love,” he murmured, heaving himself up and eyesight blurred once again as he managed his way up the stairs and to the rope.

The liquid in his eyes burned so much, it hurt along with his heart that he would growl and scream to himself as he pulled out his knife. He lifted it above his head, staring at the shining blade in the moonlight before harshly running it across the rope. The body of his lover dropped to the ground and Ray gently scooped him up in his arms, rocking the cold, dead thing to his chest like this would bring his life back. Despite the invertible, he clung onto the hope that he indeed would.

“Ray,” a soft voice cut in.

Ray didn’t bother to look. He knew the King was addressing him.

“I’m sorry,” Geoff continued, “it wasn’t my decision.”

“He was your friend.”

“I’m sorry.” The voice repeated.

“I don’t need your pity! You did this!” Ray started, ending with an angry shout and inhumane eyes whipping towards the older man who looked at him helplessly.

“I’m sorry.” He repeated and departed little red with his choked lover.

Two days Ryan’s body remained up there. On the third night, Ray locked himself in his room. He’d rarely speak to anyone in the castle, even his best friend Michael. He refused to confront anyone. He didn’t hate them they just couldn’t help. He had accepted it after two days of denial. Ryan was gone. He was alone yet again. His life served no purpose but to at any chance given sacrifice himself for the greater good of Achievement City.

On the third night, Ray did not care. He put his personal endeavors ahead. He told no one as he unlocked his bedroom window and leaped from the windowsill down in the courtyard. He grunted, pain shooting up through his leg. He limped to the square, staying to the shade to avoid the watchful eyes of the guards that protected the castle.

He met his lover at the crossbars, his body on display for all eyes to eat upon. He copied his actions like he did the first night, however this time with full confidence. The knife was sharpened. He had planned for this moment.

Ray brought it up to the new rope that tightened relentlessly against the lifeless figure and cut through it.

When the body fell, he stared down at Ryan’s dead body. He sniffed, trying to keep the tears from emerging from his eyes. He didn’t care anymore for his emotions, there was no point in it, and he doubted he would ever find happiness again when he didn’t care enough to seek it.

Ray’s arms slipped under Ryan’s, he heaved the body onto the saddle of his horse with all the strength he could muster to the point of feeling like his arms were going to snap. He jumped onto the saddle besides the corpse and flicked the ropes before the animal began riding off down the pathways of the town.

It clicked against the ground until they reached the forest outside the capital city of the kingdom. The horse trodden through the trees and stomped over grasses and roses blooming that dotted the peaceful landscape. They rode until dawn, the unknown greeting Ray’s eyes as he came upon a perfect place.

The land was covered in pine trees, snow drifting through the talk green stalks as the horse carefully maneuvered its through the dead landscape. The red-cloaked prince dismounted when they arrived at a small river, one that had a single rose by it that Ray recalled. He glanced down at the ring around his finger. This was a special place for both the dead and the living.

As gently as he could, he removed Ryan’s lifeless body and dragged him over to the waters. Ray took the silver crown etched with roses from atop his own head and placed it on Ryan’s admiring the deathly yet peaceful look on his face. His fingers brushed over his lover’s lips before he got up and started to look around with different flowers.

He carefully picked the best smelling flowers before crushed them up in his hands, rubbing the perfumes up and down the dead body and then with the extras, entwined them carefully into the Mad King’s clothes and hair.

“Goodnight,” Ray whispered, smiling peacefully at the body, “goodnight my love. We shall meet again, one day.”

Gasping for breath, he pushed the body into the icy river near the fall, watching as Ryan dipped beneath the cruel, dark waves with his crown and jewels and tumbled into the oblivion of memory.

Likewise, Ray would fall into the void of memory. He made the mistake of never to return to the castle.

“It’s been on day. We need a search party to go out. We have no clue where Ray is, Geoff!” Gavin said as they all gathered for dinner, the fork clutched tightly.

Jack looked up at the King who glanced at the two empty seats in his dining hall. “We shall leave tomorrow, tell the scouts to start looking.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Michael rose.

The next day, the three princes and the one king departed after their scouts to survey the area.  
It took two days to find Ray.

It took a moment to realize that both he and his lover were lost to their memories.

Gavin had stumbled upon the body, utterly appalled to find that some vicious creature had attacked Ray by most likely a wolf in these parts deprived of food during the winter weather. But humans were not tasty, so only with a bite-marks up and down his legs and arms, the red prince laid broken in the snow with only his blood and cloak to tell the full story of what had happened.

“Knights!” Gavin had yelled at the top of his lungs and awaited the sounds of horses. Jack, Michael, and Geoff dismounted from their steeds and approached the fallen.

“Oh god,” Michael muttered, averting his eyes to focus on the sight of a small rose blooming in the bushes.

Geoff stood there in his dumbfounded shame, an immense pain clutching at his heart because he was the one to do this. This had been his entire fault. He had lost a mere boy and probably the most noble potions master and knight he had ever lost in his life. He was king. He should not have allowed himself to be swayed by the crowd.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated.

Jack frowned, and pointed at the body. Now that they were all closer, the bite marks were hideous, but there was beauty in Ray’s death. Small thorny vines were wrapped around his wrists and tangled around his neck, prickling at the skin and exposing caked blood that he proven that he had died long ago. The body was already decaying, but a stickily eerie scent admitted from it along with the ugliness of red roses blooming near the pools of blood.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Jack told him when they returned to the castle.

‘It wasn’t your fault.’

The words echoed like the mere memories that they were. Years ago had Ray fallen dead.

Yet, the dead lifeless eyes of his son-like archer gazed up at him, his fingers intertwined with the russet haired warrior next to him, booth with crimson staining their stomachs. Their crowns had fallen to the ground, covered in blood and laid a little ways away from where they had departed upon impact.

An image of his trustful advisor clouded his eyes; his body falling to the ground while the guards finally noticed the intruder had taken the wrong life.

Geoff was alone in his castle, staring at the two boys who should have lived to be in love long enough.

“It was your fault,” a voice said.

“They never knew how to love.”

“They never knew how to live.”

“You took that away from them.”

“You ripped their lives away when they had so much potential.”

Geoff winced at the tone, his voice breaking mid sentence. He lifted up the shining blade and stared at it.

He smiled.

“Now you’ll feel what it’s like to have that all ripped away.”

He plunged it deep inside, the breath escaping his lips as his worldly vessel collapsed to the floor.

The world was white when Geoff’s eyes fluttered open for the first time.

Familiar faces smiled at him.

The first stood in front of the king, his hand gripped onto the young boy with the red cape besides him. He smiled, his blue eyes and blond hair glittering. He opened his mouth to speak: “It’s hard to remember what’s already forgotten.”


End file.
